The current candy and confection industry is based upon refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrups, and other sweeteners that cause excessive elevation of blood sugar when eaten. The excessive blood sugar not used by the body is converted to fat as an energy source for later use. High blood sugar resulting from eating sugar-carbohydrate rich candies and confections is believed to promote obesity and diabetes.
There has been a recent trend to use foods low in carbohydrates, especially those high in protein, as part of a diet advocated for many years by diet guru Robert Atkins, M.D., often called the Atkins diet. After decades of medical ridicule, the Atkins diet recently gained some credibility with the release of widely publicized research from Duke University. Dieters in the Atkins-funded study lost an average of 20 pounds in six months and saw improvements in cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Many traditional snack foods, however, are not low in carbohydrates and high in protein. Most snack foods contain high amounts of refined sugar. Those snack foods that are low in carbohydrates typically do not have a flavor that is favorable to a dieter's taste, and adding protein to such foods makes it harder to create and maintain a favorable flavor. Thus, it is often difficult for an individual to use snack foods as part of the Atkins diet. The result is that an individual is less likely to follow the diet and obtain the benefits therefrom.